United States Books

I have to say that I agree with another reviewer that I also do not understand all the 5 star reviews. I consider myself an open minded person who is fascinated with this subject, however this book is completely ridiculous. I mean it reads like it was written by a 14 year old with an over active imagination. This wouldn't even make it as a good sci fi novel. Trust me, there's a good reason why you've probably never heard or this book, that is that even avid ufo \ cover up believer's would find this laughable.... ok for science fiction though!!

Great book for the intermediate to advanced ufo enthusiast. The book reads more like a research paper filled with detailed notes on the alleged locations of the underground cryogenic tanks, and the history and engineering of the underground tunnels constructed at LANL and Wright Patterson. Robert also gives the reader a first hand look inside the secret Aviary group with background data of some its less publicly known yet highly powerful members. Robert discusses the controversial subject of Project Serpo. While he supports the existence of a USAP such as Project Serpo he is untrusting of the details of the project which he found to be laden with disinformation. Like a good crime investigator Robert Collins identifes the suspects, locations, and aquires first hand accounts from informants on the inside. The book provided fresh data and detailed personal accounts which this reader found captivating. I commend Robert for his hard and important work to uncover the truth.

Maybe the people who authored this book have the inside track on the truth of the last 70 year period of ET visitation, the reader will never know. There are some many cross avenues in the detective game to find the truth of this ever reaching subject. If only 10% of this book is the actual and real truth, then the whole UFO subject is more amazing that we have thought. I found the book extremely interesting and thought provoking and would recommend it to any party interested in the greatest cover-up of the 20th century and of today.

Although I have read countless articles and books related to the UFO, EBE phenomenon for the past 10 years...I have never been motivated to write a review...until now. This book "Exempt from Disclosure" that your considering as you scroll through countless reviews, is an ABSOLUTE must read. This book includes information on The MAJ-12 documents and affiliated members, JFK, Area 51, President Eisenhower, Bob Lazar, Project Serpo and how they all tie together in this fascinating world that the author (Robert Collins) reveals. This book provides information that only individuals in high ranking positions of elite groups are privy to. Now, the secrets are released and we are privelged to know what very few human beings even know exist.

Thank you very much for writing this book Mr Collins!!

I've been interested in UFOs since I was a young child. I'm 46 years old now. Over the years I've read many books and seen many films and T.V.shows that have attempted to explain this phenomenon. The facts are: There is a multitude of evidence that exists that has confirmed not only that UFOs are real,but also that the ETs have lived here on this planet and the government knows all about it. There are a number of reasons why this subject is "above top secret",and they're all in the name of "national security. It would seem that our government is reluctant to disclose the truth because they're afraid it would cause a "world wide panic". They base this on a report that was written back in the forties. Apparently the government has been "conditioning" the public to help prepare them for when the time comes to disclose the truth. I guess they must still think we're not ready. How many generations have to be "conditioned" before they're ready to tell us? Time will tell. However,in the meantime,Mr Collins and Mr Doty have been kind enough to provide us this this book. In my opinion,of all the books I've read on the subject,this book is by far THE BEST. It's all in here. I couldn't put it down. Fascinating stuff. Ultimately,you have to be the judge as to the validity of what has been written. But all I can say is,after reading it,I've come away with a new perspective. I truly believe what Mr Collins and Mr Doty have claimed is the truth. I had the pleasure of corresponding with Mr Collins via e-mail. He is an awesome guy.I asked him if he would be willing to answer some questions. He was happy to do it. Granted,a lot of the answers he doesn't know(this subject is after all,still Top Secret,so I wasn't all that surprised)But what he did know,he was happy to share with me. In fact,he encouraged me to share the answers to these questions with as many people as possible(if you e-mail me,I'll be glad to forward you the e-mails). I highly recommend this book.

Family Apart follows the lives of Irish children. They move from Ireland during the potato famine to NY to survive. But then their da dies and their ma finds it impossible give her family the basic needs. She decides to send them WEST so they can have the basics, education, and love. I read this book to many children because it is a quartet of books. Afterwards, they want to read the sequels. These tell the individual stories of each child. Being historial fiction, it also leads into to reading real accounts of Orphan Train riders lives. The book is exciting and has many emotions that children can identify with now.

What if you and your family had to leave your mother and go west on one of the orphan trains to be split up into differnt families?

In this book you'll experience the wide array of feelings the kelly children are feeling and the adventure that the kelly chilren have to endure. The kelly's dicover Mike, the oldest boy, is a copper stealer, they are being taken from thier mother, and most comfort Mike because he blames himself for all that has happened.

I recommand this book to anybody who like suspenseful novels or is just looking for a good book to read.

I really enjoyed reading the book Family Apart, because it keeps you guessing , whats going to happen next? Also it helps you learn a lot about orphans and what they go through. A Family Apart has a lot important teachings to offer. I would love to read the next six books in the series.

This wonderful book A Family Apart has a lot of meaningful things that can be learned. One lesson that can be learned is, that you don't know what you've got until its gone. If you have something or know somebody that means a lot to you, once you lose them you don't realize how important it was until its gone. A moral that can help you in life is to believe in yourself. Believing in yourself is good because if you are trying to reach a goal and you believe in yourself you will reach that goal and if you don't you might not. Another lesson that can be learned in this book is to love your family. You should love your family because they do a lot for you and they are your only family. The last great moral is to accept changes. Even though accepting changes is hard we have to, because sometimes we cant change them. As you can tell this great book A Family Apart has a lot of important teachings to offer.

This was a thrilling book about a poor family that live in newyork the family has to deal with many problems first the dad dies, then the 3rd eldest gets in to some trouble because he is a copper thief Mike (the copper thief) is sent to a hearing The judge announces under there mothers wishes that the children ( Petey, Peg, Danny, Mike, Megan, and Frances) are to be sent west on the orphan train. Before the train leaves Frances the eldest child overhears that two kids in the same family are more likely to be adopted if they are boys. So Frances promising her mother that she would take care of her youngest brother cuts her hair and pretends to be a boy named Frankie. That's just the beginning Frances and her brothers and sisters encounter many other things on there quest to the west. Read this fantastic book and your eyes will open up to a whole new world of adventure thieves, slaves, fear, and depression it's sure to make your heart ache.This is a book you will always remember.

The Never War (Pendragon Series #3) This book came as part of a box set containing the first 3 books in the series. They are quality paper backs. They will probably stand up to a lot of re-reads. I had been in search of a series to fill in the void left from the conclusion of the Harry Potter series. I have found that D. J. MacHale's series about time travel by a teenager and his friends to be an excellent transition from Harry Potter. I am currently finishing up book 8 in the series. I have purchased 7 of the books from Amazon and will buy books 8 and 9 when they come out in paper back. I would highly recommend this series to fans of Harry Potter. Trust me, you won't be disappointed and you will love the adventure.

The Never War is the third book in the Pendragon series. I thought this book was amazing this book I think was the best of all of the pendragons. This book brings back the characters Mark, Courtney, Spader, and Bobby and a new traveler Gunny. This book brings you back into 1937 on first earth. At the start of world war two and ends with a big ending that may shock you.
I would totally recommend this book because it envolve your own world and it makes you brush up on your history. This book is definitely the greatest sci-fi I have read. The Never War is a book that you never want to stop reading it keeps you on the edge of your seat through out the whole story and this book always has you thinking of what could happen next.

This is a really interesting book for probably one reason: the historical fiction.
This book takes you to First Earth, where life is eternally 40 yeaers behind our Second Earth. The plot of this story is where Saint Dane is trying to alter things that have already happened to cause chaos throughout Halla. This is about the Hindenburg. Saint Dane offers Bobby a chance to save the Hindenburg from crashing but what will happen if he doesn't?
This is book is chalk full of good historical fiction. I liked it, A LOT!

For this book review I read Pendragon: The Never War. The author of this fantasy book is D.J Machale.

This book is mostly about Bobby Pendragon who is a traveler and Gunny and Vo Spader, another two travelers who go through the flume that killed Uncle Press. Vo Spader and Bobby Pendragon come out and see two gangsters who have machine guns pointing right at them. The gangsters take them but they both escape and that's where they meet Gunny. Gunny takes them back to his hotel because he is a hotel bellboy. He lets them stay on the sixth floor. They meet a gangster named Max Rose but Max Rose makes them go see Winn Farrow. Winn Farrow catches them and ties them up and he burns the place down, but they escape. A big blimp called the Hindenburg comes in with Max Rose's money in it, but Winn Farrow fires a rocket at it and blows it up and Max runs into the blimp and he dies. They all go back to Second Earth and see their friends.

I think this book is a really good book because it didn't get boring or anything. It was a really exciting book. This book would be best for people who like good adventure books and exciting books.

D. J. MacHale wrote for television for years before turning his attention to novels. He created ARE YOU AFRAID OF THE DARK?, a long-running series on Nickelodeon in the United States, but it also showed in Canada on YTV and Cinar.

For the last few years, he's been writing the adventures of Bobby Pendragon, a boy who's destined - hopefully - to save the world. Several worlds, actually. Bobby is a Traveler, one of those who have the power to "flume" from world to world. He's brought into the adventure by his Uncle Press. As Bobby was growing up, Uncle Press also took Bobby scuba diving, mountain climbing, to martial arts, driving, and several other things that gave him skills he needs to survive against enemies he encounters. All during that time, Uncle Press was training Bobby to be a Traveler.

Bobby's greatest foe is a villain called Saint Dane. Saint Dane has the ability to change his appearance at will and constantly hides in different worlds while working his nefarious plans.

THE NEVER WAR is the third book in this exciting series. In it, Bobby travels to First Earth, which takes place in the year 1937. The gangster era isn't new by any means, and I was slightly let down when I discovered I wasn't being taken to a new world. I especially loved Cloral, the world Bobby went to in the second book, THE LOST CITY OF FAAR, and I look forward to returning there hopefully in one of the later books.

Still, I'm older than the average Pendragon reader. The 1930s and the Hindenburg are familiar to me through several other books I've read as well as history I've researched.

For all the familiarity with the time period, though, MacHale tells a fascinating and fast-paced tale. Bobby and his new best friend Spader land in the 1930s while pursuing Saint Dane. They're immediately met by machine-gun toting thugs that try to kill them. Bobby figures out how to escape and gets Spader out as well. Spader is way out of his depth because he's never seen anything as "technologically advanced" as the 1930s.

One of the best things about the Pendragon books is that Bobby usually gets to save the day in a down-to-earth manner. He doesn't have any really special skills or powers that help him. At this point, he's fourteen years old and can do what most kids that age can. This makes the series more believable in some ways, and I think it draws the Pendragon audience in a little closer.

MacHale's sense of timing and pacing is excellent. The story moves quickly, and I got a real sense of urgency throughout the book as Bobby tries to figure out what Saint Dane is really doing. Many of the chapters end up on cliffhangers that will draw you rapidly into the next chapter. The dialogue is fantastic and sounds real.

One of the other facets of the series that I really enjoy is Bobby's friendship with Mark Dimond and Courtney Chetwynde. The closeness they share, even through Bobby's journals, feels real.

MacHale also mixes in adult heroes with his young champion. Vincent "Gunny" Van Dyke was an excellent grown Traveler in this novel. He was kind and gentle, and guided Bobby and Spader throughout the adventure.

I did miss the world-building in this novel, but I know MacHale gets back to it in later volumes of the series. But for kids who haven't researched the 1930s much, this should be a fun book and on equal footing with fans of Artemis Fowl and Alex Rider.

The story of the Alamo is one of my favorites. So when I found this book I was thrilled. This was a very well written story that brought out the longing of ever girls heart. I think that it is a must read!!

Sherry Garland's forefathers settled in Texas when it was a Republic (1836-1845). Garland wrote this novel to tell what it would be like for a young girl living at the time of the Alamo. Garland has written twenty-five books and received numerous awards and honors. The novel is written as a diary covering the days from September 9, 1835 to April 24, 1836. The `Epilogue' tells of the later lives of the characters. The `Historical Notes' tells of the settlement of Texas. The Spanish built missions in Texas between 1670 and 1793.

In 1821 Mexico declared its independence from Spain. The new Republic of Mexico welcomed Americans to settle in areas of Texas where Indians predominated. These colonists had to pass tests to legally settle in the lands. The Mexican Constitution of 1824 was similar to the US Constitution. But the aristocracy and the rich objected to democratic rule. They convinced Santa Anna to overthrow the democratic government and set up a dictatorship that would tax and oppress the people. [There were many reoccurrences of this in South American history. America avoided these problems with its "well-regulated militia", a small standing army, and a law of division to break up aristocratic wealth.] The state of Zacatecas first fought Santa Anna but lost, and their militia was exterminated. The state of Texas also fought; they were far off from the Mexican government, and their Second Amendment experience and history gave them better odds. They lost the first battles, but under the leadership of Sam Houston won the Battle of San Jacinto. Houston wisely extracted a peace treaty that recognized Texas independence as the price for releasing Santa Anna to return to Mexico with his armed guards. The "Napoleon of the West" met his Waterloo. The Republic of Texas encouraged immigrants from Europe to settle there, much as the Mexicans had earlier encouraged immigrants from America. They fled the aristocratic despotism of Europe.

This novel is based on the known facts, and can entertain and educate the readers. It is not a substitute for a real history book, but official history seldom tells you about daily life for ordinary people. A historian may note some information that isn't accurate. James Michener wrote a much longer book about "Texas" that you may read; it covers much more in Texas history.

What a fun read! I was not too enthusiastic about this book but I gave it a try anyway. I'm glad I did! Wall-to-wall action and relevant description abound in this story about a misunderstood historical period. I read this a few years ago and I still remember how good it was. Recently I read another book about the Alamo, and it makes me appriciate how well-written this one is. I don't agree that the action is sparse; if it was, I wouldn't have finished it.

one of the reviews complained that the book was mislabeled, because it didn't take place in the alamo. while that is true, the alamo is a central point throughout the plot.

i definitely learned a lot from this book, because while everyone knows "remember the alamo," no one knows what the alamo actually was (at least in my experience). as a novel, however, the book was less than a masterpiece. it emphasized the bravery of those who fought for texas, which was a good thing to point out, and i also liked that the main character was just an ordinary girl caught up in what was happening. but lucinda was a pretty boring character - in fact, pretty much all of the characters were very two-dimensional. the plot was also boring at times. while it informed me, it did not move me. i especially disliked that the runaway scrape - when lucinda and the rest of her town had to leave their homes behind in a desperate retreat - was barely described, when it should have depicted the miserableness of the refugees and their conditions. at one point, lucinda tells us she has had an eye condition and now is blind in one eye. she says it matter-of-factly in just one sentence, and i think if someone lost half their eyesight they would be a little morre distraught. i didn't really enjoy reading the book, though i don't regret reading it either. it was just OK.

A Line in the Sand is indeed a very special book. When my aunt presented it to me on my tenth birthday, I was very exited to add another Dear America to my collection. I had also never read anything about The Alamo, so my interest grew with every page I turned. During the war, the emotions expressed by Lucinda are great and powerful, as they are cleanly expressed through Ms. Garland's words. The Alamo was a terrible battle, but though this book it almost seemed a little less dreary than it was. I was glad that this book shed some light on the great was that was The Alamo, and will keep my newfound information with me forever.

"Harvard Medical School was move from Cambridge College to Boston in order to be in closed proximity to poor colored people. This gave them access to a huge supply of poor and powerless experimental subjects."

So now I understand why all the teaching hospitals are generally in poor black neighborhoods. By locating these areas, medical staff have a unlimited supply of people to use as guinea pigs.

I thought this book was fascinating, and I would absolutely recommend. However, she contradicts herself quite often. She is telling us about all the experimentation and abuse of black Americans and their African slave ancestors. She even said something to the effect that the experimentation and abuse doesn't occur anymore. Yet she discuss several relatively recent experiments and clinical trials. So it is like she giving me the a fantastic dinner and telling me it's poison, but then setting a plate before me to eat.

I find Ms. Washington to be quite contradictory and annoying at times. The following made me say huh:

"I am in no way suggesting that this predominance of black body parts was deliberately engineered, but the confluence of presumed consent statues and the appearance of black homicide victims on coroner's tables explains why their organs and tissue dominates body part scandals." She annoys me. Why is she stating a fact, then backing down.

This is what she said in the previous paragraph to the statement above::

"Legal bias also exist in the form of presumed consent statutes, which were enacted in the 1980s to increased the number of organs donated for transplantation and research via various presumed consent statutes, which presumed that the descendent would want to donate his body parts."

Oh hell naw, if I ain't signing nothin', I aint donating squat. I have told my family I am not donating nada. They know. So how can the government presume anything. This is fraud. This medical apartheid.

Ms. Washington continues with "Many blacks do not wish to donate their bodies or body parts. Only 5 percent of Black Americans surveyed by DePaul law professor Michele Goodwin considered presumed consent a legitimate source of body parts. Eighty six percent of blacks she surveyed thought presumed consent should be illegal." It is blacks who organs and tissue are most likely to be appropriated via presumed consent by coroners after autopsy."

"There is no such entity as a crack baby. - Washington

"Birth control & abortion are turning out to be a matter of Eugenics steps. But if they had been advanced for eugenic reason, that would have retarded or stopped the acceptance." - Frederick Osborne, a Population Control Founder.

I give this book a five star, even with Ms. Washington's back peddling. I absolutely recommend this fascinating book. I would encourage everyone to familiarize themselves with term "presumed consent." This means that doctors can confiscate your organs immediately after death without your consent before death or the consent of your family after death. This sophisticated grave robbing. Please visit my book blog for June with your review of the book and review thread "De Corpse Getting de Shaft.

There was a lot of pain and ugliness in this book. Those poor slave women being tortured and brutalized could have been me, had I been born during that time. My family could have prayed that I would die in the summer. So my body would discompose quickly so that it would me it worthless for the grave robbers.

I encourage all to read this book, but most especially, my people.

Although I would like to think that I couldn't be tempted (as a medical researcher) to break the rules and to impair human dignity, it was a very disturbing eye-opener to read this book! It made me remember a few events in my medical education when I saw my teachers cross the line, not as dramatically as most of what Washington portrays, but nevertheless the start of the slippery slope, and I know the temptations to "cut corners" in pursuing your goal of completing your research project. Once you give in to that, much worse can follow. I agree with other reviewers that this book has rendered a great service and should be required reading.

Can anyone tell me if there are photos in this book? graphic images? how many? I'd like to get this book for my high school class during black history month, but I'm concerned it may be too graphic. Thank you...sorry to post in the comment section but I can't find any info.

An incredible scholarly work that exposes a virtually untold story in American history. Rich with detail, compelling ,,, and shocking.

It is clear from the thorough treatment of the subject, the suprisingly constructive conclusion, and the rich, powerful prose of Medical Apartheid that Harriet Washington is a genius. For dealing with such controversial and emotionally charged issues her tone is far more expository than accusatory, and she masterfully explains the history that has led our country to its current state of inequality. Her message is hopeful and clearly summarized. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in inequalities in medical treatment in the United States.

I'll be brief. My mom told me about this book years and years ago. I finally read it a few years ago.

Style-wise, I thought it was a bit melodramatic and I thought the author was stretching for words for emotional impact. Thus, I deduct a star for that.

What this guy's been through and what he's accomplished? Five stars isn't enough. I'd give him a million if I could on this site.

His journalistic travels to the middle east, especially his ride up the mountain on the back of a donkey, leaving his wheelchair behind - intense and beautiful.

I look up to John Hockenberry. I have a travel site, Wheel Adventure, and I am a paraplegic in a wheelchair. I think about this guy when I travel alone. If he can do it, I can travel solo as well. And I have and continue to do so.

Glad mom suggested this. One of the best reads ever and I was an English major and have read a slew of books.

I bought this book immediately after a close relative was injured in a car accident. It seemed different than the others (Although some of the others have been a great help in other ways). I know NPR and I had seen Hockenberry on NBC. The book was over the top better than I could have hoped. It is unique because it is written with such a clear voice in language that really grips you and takes you for a ride, it is funny--even laugh out loud funny and I'm a cynical person, it is witty, it has a political edge (which is why he and I would have some loud arguments at the dinner table), and it is not sugar-coated so while you are interested and amused you do get an education about what it's like to be a "crip." The best part is that when it was done, and I read it pretty passionately, I knew for a fact that I probably would not like him as a person, but I do respect him. Interesting take on "crips" for a newbie to that world. Thank you so much for this and I do hope that my dear cousin will be up to reading it one day.

John Hockenberry has a declaration to make, and he does it in an incredibly moving and entertaining manner. I highly recommend this book. It is poignant, very funny, and educational--about Middle Eastern geography and politics and about life from the perspective of those in a wheelchair.

From buying it (i think) 2 days early and reading over a very nice summer weekend in june 1995, i knew this book was - just- different. Amazing use of the language, probably the best crip biography to date (and it's well over a decade now. Based my Honors Thesis in College on what Hockenberry wrote in this book, traveled miles and miles to see his off broadway play, speaking dates across the country, and even got to know myself - and him, better as well, he ain't on nbc anymore, but this still stands as probably one of the must reads in disability studies or crip liberation.

I want to keep my review short because, if you have not read this book, reading my review will take up some of the time in which you could be reading the real book. When "Moving Violations" was first published, I heard a review of it on NPR. John Hockenberry is an NPR alum so I expected the book to be almost as good as the review led me to believe. I ordered it from Amazon and devoured it in almost no time. It was actually better than the radio review had led me to expect. A month later, I got a call from Seattle that delivered horrific news. My 21-year-old son had been in a contest with gravity and gravity had won. Although he had just had 18 hours of surgery, there was no way to know if he would ever walk again. Through the years since that time, I have read "Moving Violations" many times. It initially gave me entrance to a new world and was much more helpful to both my son and I than all the rehab publications combined. I knew, from the moment I answered that phone call that both my son and I had crossed into the Twilight Zone and nothing would ever be the same again. The Twilight Zone, however, had at least one map. My son's journey was, and continues to be, unique (as all such journeys are). I did feel, from the very beginning, that we had a preview of some of the directional signposts and even some of the scenic overlooks. I cannot help but think that our family has been living and learning about this new life in a richer way than would never have been possible if we had not read this book. As soon as my son came home from rehab it became clear that he had lost his will to live. I had a captive audience and started reading "M V" aloud. It is well written and mirrors many of the dilemmas in the life of a young male with spinal cord damage. I think it only took two days for my son to get interested enough that he started reading it himself. This book was truly one of the first things that helped him recover his will to live. Living with a catastrophic spinal cord injury is not even at the bottom of the list of interesting travel sites, and while I cannot believe that anyone would take that path voluntarily, "M V" is proof that, along with the horror, there can be adventure and possibilities in life; possibilities that could be so easily missed. So...READ IT! While spinal cord injury may never be a part of your personal life, sooner or later something awful could be. As the Eagles remind us, "The wolf is always at the door." In whatever guise the wolf presents itself, you will have learned something useful about what to do when or if the wolf appears.

Wade Davis is a lyrical writer and an accomplished scientist. This account of enthobotanists studying the amazing properties of plants and the way they are used by indigenous people is one of the most fascinating books I have ever read. Into the already-dense tapestry of medicinal, psychotropic, and industrial uses of plants he weaves fascinating details about the lives of several other brilliant and eccentric botanists, the administrative debacle of the U.S. government's rubber policy during WWII, the extraordinary lifestyles, religion and mythology of the tribes he encounters, the history of the missionaries, the cultural and nutritional significance of coca and the saga of its commercial exploitation, and the brutal history of the Spanish conquest. Add to this the sheer logistical difficulties of working in the remote rain forest -- the washed out roads, unusual diseases and parasites, harrowing plane rides, etc. -- that he, and especially his predecessors endured, and the book reads like a nail-biter adventure story. Left me with an overwhelming sense of awe as well as regret for the wonders that exist and those that have been lost.

It was in better condition than I expected (it was used). The cover isn't bent at all - it doesn't look like it's been read.

'One River' is full of great stories and anecdotes as well as a sense of place and time that are unforgettable. I'm giving it four stars for reasons stated below and so won't focus on the positives which have already been so well covered by many reviewers. These are fairly minor quibbles in an otherwise good book.

Stylistically, the narrative doesn't always flow well. Wade presents the life of the books central character, Richard Schultes, in some sort of chronological order, but interjects anecdotal stories out of order requiring the reader to have a good memory to keep everything straight. This is a long detail-rich book with 1000s of people and place names covering about a 150 year timespan from the Amazon Jungle, to the Andes to Central America and the American West.

The amount of detail is at times excessive, in particular with place names and locations, Wade sometimes spends as much time describing where a place is (a 50 person village in the jungle) as he does about the place itself before moving on to the next place - it feels like a rote travel log at times, probably because he used Schultes private botany journals as one source. There is so much detail it sometimes crowds out the big picture, lost in the trees. I think the book could have been edited back 100 pages or so, there is just a lot of material that is pure anecdote or trivia.

Finally and probably most importantly, as a life of Richard Schultes, this is pure hagiography. He is the hero of the story in all respects. Perhaps hagiography is helpful in motivating students to become scientists, but it is not a balanced objective biography, it is a tribute by one of his admiring students, Wade plays up Schultes accomplishments but does not question or examine his failures. For example, Schultes spent the majority of his career in the Amazon studying the rubber tree and became the world expert, yet he never did complete a book about it, what a tragic loss. I don't mean to disparage Schultes, but given his stature and reputation, the lack of any criticism naturally draws the question Wade never asks. The book was written in 1996 and Shultes died in 2001 so with time we may see a more balanced perspective.

This amazing book tracks the young career of National Geographic Researcher in Residence Wade Davis as well as the life of Prof. Richard Schulties, who was probably the best ethnobotanist the world has ever seen. Davis' task was difficult because Schulties kept no journals or logs of his travels. When he could, Davis interviewed Schulties whose failing mind made the process difficult. Davis also examined data and locality labels on herbarium (plant) specimens Schulties collected during his long career at Harvard University. What emerges is an in-depth look at Schulties' 12 years of exploration along remote rivers of South America in search of new and improved rubber-producing trees. This book provides a fascinating view of the scientific career of Schulties, from undergraduate student to career end, as well as vivid descriptions of travels in interior S. America. It is the most interesting book of explorations in South America that I have read. It also describes the lives of peoples untouched by western civilization; the health benefits of chewing coca leaves; the plague of aids; and the fragility of the world's rubber industry. Great book!

I actually teared up at the end of this book, not something I expected from a book about ethnobotany. At the end of the reading I had learned about the lives of researchers in such exquisit detail that I lived along side of them. This book is nearly perfect, much better than even the rave recommendation from some very respected friends. It's possible that there will never be anyone who will have the knowledge from experience that Richard Shultes had aquired in South America and that alone makes this book very rich, yet added to his story are the experiences of Davis and Dr. Plowman two researchers that also immerse themselves deeply into the Andes, the llanos, and the Amazon to learn about the forests, the people and the use of medicinal and psychoactive plants.

This is a long book, nearly 500 pages and is a serious commitment but well worth it as you will not experience anything quite like it unless Davis's other book is better (I have not read it yet). I only have a few complaints about the book and those are regarding omissions in some available photographs that Davis mentions in the end and a lack of maps for much of the area covered in the book. There is one small map on page 125 that shows the route of travels but it is too small and difficult to use. I resorted to a copy of International Travel Maps - South America North West to see the detail that I needed as I followed the travels of Schutes, Davis and Plowman.

Davis is an excellent writer and he has a way of conveying a sensitivity to the lives of all that he encounters. That along with his insight into the cultures that he experiences and the knowledge and history that he brings into this makes it a unique, rich read.

This book is a book that anyone who is considering a career in any type of child services needs to read. I myself am going into social services and this book made me realize what I will be seeing on a daily basis. Mary Ellen was such a brave little girl and I applaud her for surviving her early life!

The book Out Of The Darkness is an awesome book. It shows the hard time that a little girl named Mary Ellen had to go threw. She has such a hard life, but in the end everything work out. I recommend this book for everybody. This is an outstanding book, everybody should read it.

I'm Eric Shelman, co-author of Out of the Darkness. I just wanted to ask that if you buy this book, come on back and write a review of it when you're done. I've never had anything but positive feedback about it, but others can use YOUR personal experience with it to better judge it prior to purchasing. I thank all of you who have read and commented on our book.

The authors of this book have created a wonderful window of understanding how child abuse/neglect has evolved over the years. This book should be required reading for anyone interested in the human service field. Through the heart-felt story of Mary Ellen, we can see why there is such a strong need to protect children and continue to evolve for many more years. Thank you to Shelman & Lazoritz for telling such an important story.

Review of Out of the Darkness: The Story of Mary Ellen Wilson by Eric A. Shelman and Stephen Lazoritz, M.D. Dolphin Moon Publishing, 2003

I chose to review this book because it explains the job of a social worker in the early days of the profession. The book appealed to me as an author and advocate. Set in New York City immediately after the Civil War, this book offers a powerful story in a historical context. Using an original style that combines journalism with fiction, the writers completed a work of art that is based on a true story. The protagonist, Mary Ellen Wilson, was a real orphaned child who experienced devastating cruelty at the hands of the first woman to be tried and convicted of child abuse, Mary Connolly. The story climaxes when Etta Wheeler, a social worker; Henry Bergh, the founder of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals; and Elbridge Gerry, ASPCA attorney, come together to rescue Mary Ellen. It's nearly inconceivable that animals were awarded victims' rights before children.

Thomas Wilson was an immigrant from Ireland who fled the potato famine to shuck oysters at a New York City hotel. In 1861 he married Frances Connor, an English immigrant who he'd met while she was a laundress at the hotel. While he was on the front lines during the Civil War, she gave birth to their daughter, named Mary Ellen. The year the child was born was the same year that Tom Wilson died in battle, 1864.

Frances found it difficult to work and care for her child, so she sought the services of a woman named Martha Score. Childcare for the working poor in the tenements of New York City provided meager nutrition and crowded conditions with no sanitation. However, Miss Score took good care of the baby while Frances worked long hours at the hotel. Travel through the tenements was treacherous at night, so Frances could not visit her child as often as she wished. After her husband died during battle, Fanny turned to alcohol for solace, leading to the loss of her job. Eventually, Fanny died in an "inebriate's asylum." When the war ended, working women returned to housekeeping as their husbands went to work. This left Miss Score with no income, thereby having to abandon the then two-year old Mary Ellen to Blackwell Island almshouse. Mary Ellen was illegally adopted to the evil Mrs. Connolly, where she suffered for seven years.

Etta Wheeler worked for St. Luke's Mission; she cared for the "outdoor poor" and frail elderly in the slums of the city. When neighbors spoke about the cries of a child called Mary Ellen, Miss Wheeler used all available resources to rescue Mary Ellen. However, she was often told by pastors, police, and lawyers to not interfere in the family's business. Undaunted by the advice, Etta persisted in her rescue efforts, eventually aided by Henry Bergh of the ASPCA. In 1874, with police assist, Mary Ellen was carried out of the abusive home, covered with a horse blanket provided by the ASPCA. The court proceedings set a precedent: "There had never been a recognized way to remove a child from an unfit home." The jury trial resulted in felony assault charges against Mrs. Connolly.

Etta Wheeler's sister, who lived on a farm in upstate New York, legally adopted Mary Ellen. Etta continued her social work in the tenements of New York City, where she was needed most. Mary Ellen eventually married, and her daughters spoke of their mother's burns and cuts that never fully healed. However, Mary Ellen lived until the age of ninety-two, surviving her husband by thirty-one years. Meanwhile, Mr. Bergh founded the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children. Mr. Gerry was responsible for forming the initial laws pertaining to the rights of children.

This story will cause the reader to wince at the cruelty and rejoice at the rescue. Perhaps the most poignant message in the book comes with the ending: "Perhaps we should see Mary Ellen not as the victim of abuse, but as the survivor, and as a persistent reminder that the efforts of a few people on behalf of one child can make a real difference." As a social worker, that is my hope.

I read this book when it was first published and was completely taken by it. I entered the US Naval Academy in 1968 (Class of 72)--my plebe year was 1968-1969 (I flunked out a year later, joined the Army, went to Vietnam, returned, finished college then joined the Marine Corps, retiring as a Colonel after 31 years total service). The events and characters in this book were so close to those I'd experienced (to include the setting--I was in 32nd Company, my company officer, Maj Stensland, MUST have been the model for Capt Lenahan) it completely blew me away. Most poignant for me is the part about training for jump school...I participated in that; reading the book was like reading a chapter of my own life. If you want to know what this little bit of history was all about; if you want to "taste" a snapshot of the times...being part of an institute demonized by anti-war sentiment knowing that upon graduation you were going to Vietnam (in my case, never coming to grips with what calculus had to do with fighting NVA) this is the book for you.

I bought this book based on the reviews posted on this website. I too, served for 10 years in the Navy. For some reason, I got very bored with the centralized theme: discipline at the USNA. I'll even admit that I started (and stopped) reading this book several times but I was determined to finish it (like Dean running the wall). The transformation of turning teenagers into military leaders is the purpose of the Academies but why does Webb beat you death with this point. I know there are other plots to the book but everything comes back to the discipline element. Webb's military career is well documented and he does a tremendous job bringing the reader into this environment. His character development in Sense of Honor is very strong. The plots are easy to follow. He satisfactorily brings each to conclusion at the end. I am giving it 3 stars because 1) I finished the book and 2) due to the over emphasizing of discipline. It would be kinda interesting if Webb had to choosen to follow up these characters. He did with Fogarty but what eventually happens to Dean might have made a great sequal. This is a good novel but not a real turner.

I wasn't there in the 60's, but I can tell you it was very accurate for 1985. The are still a few Fogartys running around there. I had a squad leader just like him. This is a very good read. Webb is underappreciated as a writer.

"A Sense of Honor" is classic Webb, and that's a good thing. For those readers unfamiliar with James Webb and his works, he graduated from the Naval Academy, went to Vietnam as a Marine Officer, and eventually used his experiences to write his most famous novel, "Fields of Fire". Both "Fields" and "Sense of Honor" have as central themes the warrior's distaste for the tyranny of guidelines and rules over common sense. Webb excells at creating choatic enviroments, where leadership breaks into difficult choices of judgement and morality, where there are no 'right' answers. In particular, I found 'Sense of Honor' great because of its simple contrast of characters. Fogerty is the poster-boy Annapolis First Classman, and consumate warrior. John Dean is the new 'plebe', subject to the whims of the First Classmen (think of a recruit in a Fraternity). Dean is about grades and class; jumping through whatever hoops he must to simply graduate and continue a civilian life. Fogerty pushes Dean, in the words of 'Sense of Honor', to be 'bigger than himself' - to be a leader sacrificing for his companions, rather than a civlian out for himself. This is all set during the Class of 1968, the summer of the Tet Offensive in Vietnam, in which Annapolis graduates fought, bled, and died. Sacrifice and death were by no means simple abstractions. Anyone interested in leadership, the military life, or simply a great drama would do well to buy this book. It is as relevent to current events as it was back when 'Sense of Honor' was written.

It's been 15 years since I read this book the first time as a Midshipman. While quite a bit has changed in my life since then, I am amazed at how quickly A Sense of Honor took me back to my youthful days at USNA. As I read Webb's story this time, I was amazed at how differently it affected me and how greatful I am for my own experiences and relationships I took from the Academy. They call Annapolis "the great conundrum" because while you are there, all you want to do is get away, but once you graduate, all you want to do is get back, and Webb's story helps to demonstrate why. While the particulars of the story will be more familiar to former Midshipmen, there are terrific lessons to be learned for everyone and I would recommend it without a doubt.

This book got to me, in a very good way.

Buck's stories are funny and poignant, and we as readers definitely learn some history if we pay attention. But even more than that we can learn from Buck O'Neil's outlook on life. He was patient, caring, outspoken in an articulate and positive way (something our politicians should learn how to do), and he had grace. More than anything else reading about Buck O'Neil was a lesson on how to live with grace.

I want to tell you the last words of the book, but I won't.

If you like baseball, people or life you will like this book.

Highly recommended!!

Sometimes a great author writes a 5-star book, and sometimes he must only get out of the way and let 5-star material shine through. "The Soul of Baseball" is one of the latter. This isn't a knock on Joe Posnanski. The decision to tell the story by reporting on a year in O'Neil's life, rather than interpreting O'Neil's history, was a brilliant judgment. The reader benefits from Posnanski's willingness to set his writer's ego aside.

Another good Posnanski decision was reporting O'Neil's occasional querulousness. Rather than seeing O'Neil as a mindless happy face, the reader sees O'Neil as someone who must work to maintain his positive approach. The occasional lapses serve to highlight the effort that O'Neil makes to bring the light into the lives of those around him.

But ultimately, the star of the book is Buck O'Neil. Not because he was a great ballplayer or manager. But because he was a decent, good-hearted human being whose attitude toward life is worthy of emulation.

I give few 5-star rankings, but this book deserves it several times over.

Reading this book gave me insight into the Negro Leagues and more importantly into Buck O'Neil. Buck O'Neil was a man today's player should study and revere; not only because of his courage but for his respect of the game.

The Soul of Baseball is a history lesson I encourage any fan or player to read.

This is an outstanding book by one of my favorite writers. Joe really knows how to tell a story and paint a vivid picture with his words. I loved it so much that I just couldn't put it down. A must have for any and all baseball fans.

My son, Jeremy, always gives me good books. He doesn't just pick up the latest best-seller, but takes the time to choose something special just for me. He hit a home run with The Soul of Baseball by Joe Posnanski. It's the story of an extended road trip Posnanski took with legendary Negro League player and manager Buck O'Neil. The lessons learned along the way are great ones for sons and fathers to share.

Posnanski, an award-winning sports columnist for the Kansas City Star, chose not to write a biography of the irrepressible O'Neil, even though the story could bear to be told over and over again. Instead, he penned a moving memoir of the year he spent with the then-93-year-old O'Neil as he toured the country promoting the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City and the memory of those men who played the game in the days before whites and blacks could share the field. The trip takes them everywhere from Nicodemus, Kansas, to New York, New York, and O'Neil has a fascinating story to tell at every stop.

He talks about Satchel Paige, Willie Mays, and Josh Gibson, names that will always be enshrined in baseball's collective memory. But he also tells the tales of forgotten men like Dan Bankhead, the first black pitcher in the major leagues, who would have been a great hurler if he hadn't been afraid to pitch fastballs inside against white batters.

The key theme of the book is Buck O'Neil's spirit-lifting embrace of the best in every person he met. Despite years of back-breaking struggle, O'Neil never turned bitter, never condemned anyone for their prejudice, never had a bad word to say about the often ugly conditions the black ball players endured. Even when he failed to be elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame, Buck O'Neil refused to be angry about it. To make up for the egregious mistake, the Hall awarded him a Lifetime Achievement Award after his death.

The lessons Posnanski drew from his experiences with O'Neil are well worth telling and the book he created from them is well worth reading.

Dave Donelson, author of Heart of Diamonds: A Novel of Scandal, Love and Death in the Congo